National Transportation Safety Board investigators have begun examining the wreckage of a news helicopter that crashed in a Los Angeles suburb, killing three people.
The aircraft went down in a parking lot in Chatsworth, in the San Fernando Valley, shortly before 7pm on Tuesday while providing aerial coverage of a nearby collision involving a city bus and an SUV.
The helicopter, known as NewsChopper4, was operated by Angel City Air for NBC4 Los Angeles and Telemundo 52. Reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were killed on board, while 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia died on the ground, according to officials.
Firefighters said the crash caused a blaze which damaged four vehicles and two storage containers between commercial buildings. Two other people were taken to hospital, although their conditions were not immediately known.
The NTSB said video recorded during the helicopter’s live coverage could prove crucial to establishing what happened. Investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar said the agency wanted an original copy of the footage for detailed sound analysis.
In the final moments of the broadcast, an alarm could be heard inside the cockpit as the helicopter lost altitude. The NTSB has not said what caused the crash.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the accident or recorded footage to contact the agency. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, while the final investigation is likely to take several months.
